Seattle

I just go back from a fun filled girls weekend in Seattle. Melissa, Staci and I had a blast touring the town, eating yummy seafood and checking out the night club. I was so impressed how easy and convenient it was to navigate through Seattle.

On Thursday Night we all met at the airport and headed to Hotel Max:

We got a drink at Amber before we headed to the Flying Fish for dinner. We went and grabbed a few drinks at ______ and listened to an AMAZING band. Unfortunately, I forgot the name, but I'll let you know it once I talk to Melissa.
Friday Melissa had to work, so after coffee and a run, Staci and I toured the town. We went to Pikes Place to shop around.

We had a yummy lunch at Lowells'. It was the first time I had ever had clam chowder and I loved it!After lunch we saw the first Starbucks and Sur la Table. Then shopped around town some more.

We went and had a drink at The Triple Door and then headed next door to Wild Ginger.

Melissa met up with us at Wild Ginger, and we all headed to Pioneer Square for some more bar hopping. The bars were a little dirty, but made great drinks. From there we headed to Alibi to get our groove on.

It would be an understatement to say Saturday was more mellow than the two days before. We revisited our favorite shops one last time before we had to head to the airport.

My flight was 2 hours after the girls, so at first I was bummed to just sit at the airport. Fortunately, the Seattle a well stocked airport. I shopped at Fireworks for a while. Then I headed to Butter - LONDON. I had the BEST pedicure and manicure as I waited for my flight.
I have never been to Seattle before, but this trip makes me want to go back! Thanks for planning a great girls weekend Melissa!

Welcome President Obama!

Today was a HUGE day in America's history.

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

-President Obama

There are many reasons I will always remember this day:

-the first African American President gave his oath of office

-the first time I wanted to watch the whole inauguration because I believed in true change for our country

-the first time I was moved enough to cry (yes in front of the 19 kids in my class) as I watched a President's promise to our country

-the first time I felt a President could relate to my generation

-the first time I felt our country was ready and capable of true change

I'm looking forward to watching the positive change that will come in the next 4 (or 8) years.

Couch to 10K

One of my resolutions is to run a 10K. Although this does not seem too challenging, I had no idea how to start training until I found this great website:

http://rununiversity.com/couchtok.html

It gives a wonderful formula to follow to be able to run a 10K in 10 weeks. It starts off super easy with walking and jogging intervals and slowly adds on longer distances of jogging/running. I am just starting week 2 and it is going well (let's see how I am doing around week 7).

My first 10K is going to be on Sunday, April 19 in Santa Cruz (thanks for helping me get the ball rolling Kelly)!Check out the link and let me know if you are interested.

http://www.firstwave-events.com/sc_half/10k_walk.html

Sewing Class

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to learn a new hobby. For the past few years, I have wanted to learn to sew, but it has always intimidated me. In September, I took a 3 hour introduction to sewing class at JoAnn's Fabrics, but I never did anything beyond that.

Tonight that changed...I took my first real class, and actually created an apron. It was GREAT! I was nervous and excited as I drove to the class because I thought that everyone else would know more than me. Luckily, I was the only one in the class! The instructor was able to give me one-on-one attention, which I absolutely needed. Most importantly, I was able to gain some confidence about sewing. Here is my apron:

Hopefully I will be posting some other sewing creations throughout the year.

Birthdays Galore!

This week was filled with many important birthdays! I don't know what it is about January, but the people born this month have such kind hearts that are just filled with love, sincerity and patience. Everyone who meets these January birthday girls loves them.

My mom's birthday was Thursday. She is such a beautiful woman who always puts everyone else before herself. She is always there for others (especially our family) and goes above and beyond to make everyone feel special and welcome. I love getting to know more about her as I grow up, and I hope I am as wonderful of a mom as she is (when we have kids).

Chad's mom's birthday was Saturday. She is such a nurturing, kind woman who has done a terrific job of raising five great kids. Maple loves it when Mindy babysits her because she gets spoiled with walks and attention.

Saturday night we also celebrated Heather and Melissa's birthday...Disco style. I have known these two girls since junior high, and I love spending time with them. They always have huge smiles on their faces and love to have a good time. (I will post pictures from the party soon.)

Optimistic

So, it's that time of year again that I need to think about how I can be a better person and enjoy this year even more than the last. Here are some of the ways I am going to make 2009 one of my favorite years::
-Slow down.
-Spend more time outside.
-Run a 10K by the time I am 30.
-Learn a new hobby (preferably sewing).
-Learn how to cook at least 2 NEW meals a month.
-Read 2 new books a month.
-Give back.

I believe that these goals will help me become a better person and make our world a better place.

Cheers to 2009!